Beowulf Analysis

Generosity is valued greatly in a king, but there is no attempt to disguise the fact that it is motivated by the need to maintain the support of a band of retainers. The warriors have a culture that accepts and embraces this give-and-take relationship between rulers and ruled as necessary for society to function effectively. The emphasis on the loyalty of the warriors has a special resonance for Beowulf, given the disloyalty of his men in his encounter with the dragon. This passage also emphasizes the importance of behavior in securing the respect and support of others. This warrior society so highly values its heroic code; which highly esteems those who conform to the code’s principles. Beowulf vaunts himself as a great warrior and backs up his words by defeating Grendel; he is then celebrated and received as a hero. On the other hand, he is unwilling to fight Grendel or Grendel’s mother. Though such verbal elements as boasts and stories are crucial to the warrior culture, heroes are, above all, defined by

The story of Beowulf is one that over the course of 3182 lines, sets out to define power to not be something that is maintained, but something that is continually earned and appreciated. From the rise and fall of kings through epic battles to the passage of treasure from one leader to another, nothing is emphasized more than the natural human struggle to be on top. The first sixty three lines of the text serve to introduce the theme of power and the different means of attaining it such as material wealth and physical strength, and are later used to mirror Beowulf’s rise to power. Shield Sheafson’s funeral introduces the concept of a constant flow of treasure in and out of a hero’s possession as a sign of power. Throughout the epic, as battles are won and alliances are made, material goods are exchanged constantly.

“… no man swims in the sea As I can, no strength is a match for mine” (Raffel 25). Repeatedly, the author decides to keep talking about Beowulf’s amazing self and how he is an honourable hero, proving how he is the perfect hero who follows the heroic code. The heroic code is a code that ancient Germanic warrior societies follow and worship. This code dictates that the relationships between kinsmen of the same tribe must be founded on loyalty and respect. The author repeats again and again about Beowulf accomplishments and gets the reader to think of Beowulf as the perfect image of a warrior throughout his lifetime.

While fighting in the battles with his arch enemies he knows that he may have a chance of dying. Beowulf would rather die as a hero than to let his society down. Beowulf believes that saving his society is everything and he must do everything to accomplish his goal. Beowulf’s culture deserves a great king like him that gives them great loyalty. The poem supports heavy evidence on the relationship between Beowulf and his society giving them everything by supporting them and defending them in every way

The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf touches on the vice of pride, and is instilled in the main character, Beowulf, the great and mighty warrior. His boasting and arrogance when first dropping anchor at Heorot transitions throughout the poem, and, in contrast with his ideal kingsmanship, motivates him to accomplish and overcome the many challenges he faces as an epic hero. The contrast of his absent humility in the rise and fall of the story help promote the progression of the story, through its different purposes. Beowulf, when first landing upon Hrothgar’s kingdom, boasts, which does not go unchallenged, so that he might gain the trust of the Danes, but when knowingly facing his last battle, uses bragging to comfort and brace himself for his ultimate demise.

While the values of the warrior become clear in Beowulf’s example throughout the poem, only in the poem’s more educational moments are the responsibilities of a king to his people discussed. The heroic code requires that a king reward the loyal service of his warriors with gifts and praise. It also holds that he must provide them with protection and a nice home. Hrothgar’s speeches, emphasize the value of creating stability in a chaotic world. He also talks a lot about the king’s role, both with his own warriors and with other

In the beginning he is a brave fighter, but by the end, he has become a wise and noble king. This transition shows that perhaps a different code is necessary to fulfill these different roles. These sets of values illustrate early on in the poem the contrary outlooks of Beowulf and Hrothgar. Early in the poem, Beowulf is young, brave and has no one to worry about but himself. Because of this he can risk everything in his quest for personal glory.

“There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil.” – Ayn Rand. To fully understand the complex world and culture of the Anglo-Saxons, one must examine the only form of historical evidence available – texts. One particular great work from this time period is often underrated and overshadowed in modern society by many other ancient works such as Iliad or Oedipus Rex. The epic poem, Beowulf, was sung by multiple unknown Anglo-Saxon poets four centuries before the Norman Conquest. The theme of good versus evil was constantly reappearing throughout the storyline, the portrayal of evil and its downfall initially shaped the poem’s plot, and illustrates an alien presence; something that

Thanks to this “sermon”, the reader can understand the difference between being a wise king and a brave warrior, which is also one of the main themes of the poem. Hrothgar is the model for maturity and wisdom: before becoming king he had been a warrior like Beowulf too, so he knows what he is talking about when he compares strength and fortune to a “trap”. He is the symbol of stability and tries to share this values with Beowulf, who is exactly his opposite. The young hero embodies, on the contrary, the manners and values of the Germanic code, like loyalty and pride. But pride is presented here as a “double-edged sword”, because if it is not controlled can lead to death. Hrothgar, trying to prepare Beowulf for the ascension to the throne, becomes an inspiring model for him. However, as explained previously, Beowulf demonstrates at the end to be a brave king, but not a wise one… He becomes older and more powerful, but he seems not to have grown up mentally, because ‘till the very end he is focused on reaching glory (to the detriment of his people’s safety) even if he knows that it is inevitable for him to lose. This passage is a sort of forecast of what the reader will read next and demonstrates that heroism means nothing if it is not “blown over” by

The epic poem Beowulf contains many examples of Anglo-Saxon heros and royal figures, these figures are all strong and brave, but they are all also all very social. The poem describes many different characters who are kings or powerful men, and all the ones who are successful in ruling and protecting their kingdom carry traits such as sociability and generosity, and the ones who do not have a balanced mix of strength and kindliness do not last long. In the text, Beowulf, the greatest warrior in the world, is going to kill the demon Grendel’s mother to help the Danes. By this time, Beowulf has become very close to the Dane king Hrothgar who adopted Beowulf as a son; when the moment of the fight comes, Beowulf is not sure that he will survive the battle and asks Hrothgar “If I should fall / And suffer death while serving your cause, / Would [you] act like a father to me afterwards.

Characters such as Unferth act as a mouthpiece for the writer of Grendel, as he represents the heroic ambition in all warriors of the time. During the Anglo-Saxon period, if one was to retreat from battle as a coward, they would be faced with an array of retribution. Unferth was well aware of this standard of the time, as it is shown in the scene where he refuses to retreat from Grendel's home, even when in the face of death. Instead of retreating from battle to spare one’s life, warriors were taught to believe only in remaining in battle and defend their people. If one was to perish in battle, they would be forever remembered as a heroic being. When Unferth is on the brink of death, he explains such notion to Grendel, telling him to kill him so that he may die as one of the most worthy, at the hands of the beast. “Quote” Grendel responds to this by threatening to take him back down to the mead hall, and action that would ironically humiliate Unferth. Another scene where this notion of “kill or die trying” is seen in one of the latter scenes in the poem. In an attempt to slay the dragon for terrorizing his people, Beowulf heads to his lair, but when confronted by the beast, all of Beowulf's warriors cower in fear and flee. As a result of their actions, Beowulf perishes in battle, and they are heavily reprimanded. It was believed that not only were Beowulf's men failing to meet their oath to protect Beowulf himself, they also broke God’s will, for if they were to die in battle, that would be their fate. Although Unferth may show great pride in protecting his people, the overall mood of his encounter with Grendel is rather anti-heroic, as it makes him seem inferior to the beast despite his

Throughout history, rulers have always been protective of their kingdoms. In hopes of always being in control of their territory, they have developed special relationships with their subjects to ensure their protection. In Anglo Saxon poetry, the relationship between the ruler and his thanes is known as comitatus: the idea of fealty, brotherhood, and community. In the epic Beowulf, the community of thanes centers around honor, friendship, and respect. The focus of the comitatus is Heorot, the meadhall built by Hrothgar. These values emerge most clearly in the sharing of treasure, life in the meadhall, and the importance of lineage to great kings and warriors.

Many readers of the poem Beowulf may find it difficult to distinguish the 'good' kings from the rest – indeed, almost every man who holds a throne in the epic is named at one point or another to be 'good'. By examining the ideals of the time period as identified by the 'heroic code', it becomes clearer that a truly 'good' king is one who generously distributes treasure and weaponry to deserving retainers to honour courage and strength displayed in battle and to encourage the defense of the kingdom (Intro). When Beowulf ascends the throne of the Geats, the heroic traits of courage and strength for which he was so highly praised as a warrior do not serve well in making him a good king. Indeed, by exhibiting the traits of a thane, that is, by

Throughout history, the ruling classes have normally offered protection to the areas of their jurisdiction. These rulers usually have the false hope of controlling their territory forever; thus they build harmonious relationships with the people they rule so that these people can protect them from external attacks. To achieve such a relationship between the ruler and his subjects, the rulers would occasionally instill fear into their warriors’ minds. The other way of building this relationship was through cultivating respect between them; the rulers and the subjects. In a poem like “Beowulf”, comitatus refers to the relationship created between the ruler and the thanes under his leadership. The requirement of this relationship is that the thane

“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.